Remembering the past year

The end of the year is here and it’s time to reflect on the old and the new beginnings that 2012 promises. What did I do this year that was special, different or significant?

I don’t know I don’t remember all of it, but I love to look through the photos saved on our computer. That is a good indication of what we did as a family, our albums are our best diary.

In February we became part of a small group of people that started a new church 

March was Top Gear madness at Kyalami, I sat on a Harley Davidson for the first time
with the engine running & changed gears, I know small things amuse small minds :)

April hubby turns 46, we went to Neil Diamond show the best 'waste' of money ever!

... & Tigs had his wisdom teeth removed :(
and my boys are ordained as deacons

May we bought a piano, I destroyed my toe and turned 40 something!

June I had my big op

July my Moo turns 18 and we start sending application forms to universities. Had a wonderful little holiday in Ballito

September Perfect Moments charity art exhibition raises R43 thousand rand. Hubby goes to Portugal 

Sadly my aunt passed away at the end of this month

October we are graced by the beautiful Jacaranda trees again. It's our wedding anniversary !

Moo has his matric dance and wins the DUX award for academic excellence 2011. School is officially finished. 

November, Josh Groban at Sun City :)
We visit Clarens for a lovely weekend and collect our painting by _ Tina de Beer

December my sister and family arrive from Italy, Andrea is here again...

... I meet Leo for the first time

...and it's Christmas!

So for 2012 lets 

Remember to count our blessings & not our crosses; count our gains & not our losses; count our laughs & not our tears; count our joys & not our fears; count our health & not our wealth & most of all, count on God and not on ourselves!

Remember God created tortoise's to remind us to SLOW down, elephants to remind us to think BIG, ants to remind us about SMALL things, the sky to remind us to look up and PRAY, the ground to remind us to look down and be HUMBLE and most importantly...special people to remind us how BEAUTIFUL life can be!

Happy New Year! Lots of love from me

xxx

My Out of Africa Story

I woke up this morning and sat in the lounge while everyone was still sleeping I was flipping through the TV channels and I found my all time favorite movie was showing - Out of Africa.
It’s the most perfect love story, two of my favorite actors, the absolutely most awesome breathtaking views of Kenya and *sigh* the music alone is enough to make you fall in love and cry at the same time.
So my breakfast was in front of the TV watching this old movie, listening to the music, her voice and story just made me think of my very own Out of Africa Story. I have not farmed yet and I so wish I could start my story with the famous line…“I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills”


I can't do that, but I can start it with “My heart belongs in Africa”


Born in Africa (Angola) the rivers that give water and life to this land flow through my veins too, the sound of the African drums beat in my heart and the red sand of our ground is the color of my blood. The story of how both my grandparents arrived in Angola is a long and old story that I will share one day. Today I want to share photographs of my African Story. This is just one chapter of that story for I have millions of photos, slides, videos and memories engraved in my heart of this beautiful land.

This is my Out of Africa Story ...

Part two of this story is saved for next year ...

Shapes in the clouds

Having a long weekend just before Christmas we decided to go off to Pilansberg to give my nephew an “African Safari" experience.  He was so looking forward to coming to South Africa to see animals, especially lions, make fire and go on safari!
100% Italian little boy only two months away from his 4^th birthday he knows what he wants and African Safari it was this weekend!
It was a hot weekend and the pool and orange flavored paddle pops were our saving grace.

I think he had loads of fun; he got to see all the animals he wanted and more…he swam and played by the baby pool all day with a few breaks just so he could eat flings and ice-cream and he made a fire with his uncle; the best mielies ever.

But weekend was a little bit spoilt for me becasue I got a bit sick :(

Maybe it was the sun and ice-cream that was too much for someone that sits in and air-conditioned office all day every day, I feel a bit like a 'hothouse flower' out of my ordinary day-to-day thing and I get sick? Friday evening I was off to bed with a very sore throat. Saturday I woke up to sand paper in my throat and blocked nose and that evening had almost no sleep because I couldn’t breathe and my chest was so heavy. 

So when we left on Sunday, hubby really spoilt me and left the whole back seat open, he put all the pillows in the back and made me a very comfortable bed. So the drive home was me lying down in the back seat sleeping or staring at the blue blue sky. It was a nice drive and staring at the sky reminded me of when we were kids and we’d lie on the grass and look for shapes in the clouds...



what can you see in this one?



It was too fast to get any good pictures or to find the shapes, but I did find one or two similes and at least one teddy bear. So thanks to my hubby for the nice bed he made me and for letting me just lie in the back seat and stare at the beautiful sky we had yesterday afternoon.

Thanks babes xxxx

So what shapes do you see when you stare at the clouds?

Thursday's Sunset

You can feel and smell ‘holiday’ in the air. Although things are still a bit crazy in the office with little things to finish off before my holiday is official I just can’t help feeling happy about Christmas and the holidays. The drive to work was so pleasant this morning, I was singing out loud to Michael Buble's Christmas CD. I am sure other drivers though ‘ah shame crazy lady behind steering wheel’.

The drive home after half a days work and a really good lunch with work colleagues was just as awesome! When I’m close to home I drive down a beautiful wide open road with mountains on either side that offer some really gorgeous views. I almost wish traffic would stand still for a while so I can enjoy the view a little longer. And yes of course the CD on the radio does help to make me feel happier. 

We should stop more often and take a break from our busy work days to see whats beyond the sunset. 

Where the purple mountains lie in deep tranquility, just like paradise should be, that is where you'll find me most afternoons...

Red

Red! 
It's the color of blood, love, rubies, strawberries, roses, fire, the perfect color for a dress or shoes. It is also Christmas and apples, cherries, lipstick and the best crayon in the box. The Ferrari. Love RED.


What a way to finish the year. Love these last tow paintings for this year. So bright and happy.
...I think it's my new favorite color.


What's on my mind for 2012?
Horses! I can't wait and already have a nice collection of pictures and have a huge canvas waiting for running horses. It's going to be tough...




For Leo




For Leo's mom

So for 2011 it's 'Good Bye RED'
xxx

Dove makes me laugh

Have you ever had one of those moments when you laugh so much you actually have tears running down your face and your tummy hurts?

I love it when that happens, to be honest it has been a long time since I’ve had one of those moments or days.

Things are a little crazy at work – I have missed two team meetings with the same boss. There have been a few important things that I have forgotten about....just lost in the mess of my work desk or mail box. I keep being reminded or asked for stuff; and then my reaction is oh yes I’ll give you that now! Yuks! I haven’t started it yet!

I feel like I’m chasing my tail. When I get home I have a million other things on the go at the same time and added to that is some admin church work that seems to be multiplying like mushrooms in the dark as if I needed extra pressure.

Anyway it happened - I received this really crazy email that had me in stitches, it’s not even that funny but together with a corny joke from my son ‘SUPPLIES!’ (say that with Chinese accent) ... I just couldn’t stop laughing about it.

It’s called releasing the dove!

You are at a wedding and it’s time to watch the bride and groom, they stand shoulder to shoulder with a dove in their hands as friends and family eagerly await.
The  photographer gives the signal  and they open their hands toward the sky.
Not a  dry eye  anywhere, the camera flashes; the beautiful moment is saved for  all eternity...

I purposely did a bad job with the blue
- but had to block it -
I'm sure you can imagine the rest 

I love it, I'm sorry if you're not rolling on the floor laughing but this came just at the right moment of the day. Made me take a huge *sigh* and I happily went back to work with a smile for the rest of the day.
Now you should hear the ‘SUPPLIES’ joke, but I will keep that for another day.

Keep Smiling!   :-)

Lifeguard needed

Is it uncool to say 'I'm so busy'?
If it is then I'll just have to be uncool, I really am busy, it's hectic in the office and I feel like I'm drowning. Just can't seem to catch up! Catching up at home is out of the question just as busy there mmm... shame *shacking my head* at myself and the situation I have created.

It is the end of the year and things just don't want to slow down.  I feel a bit like a tortoise with the belly up. And looking at the little creatures you can just see that it's uncomfortable, they were not built to lie in the sun with the belly up - and that is what I wish I could be doing...lying on the beach belly up.

There's a funny saying that comes to mind; 
"I'm so busy I don't know if I found a rope or lost my horse" or is this what they said about old people? Either way it's true I'm loosing my mind.


Lifeguard needed I'm drowning and make it a nice looking one please...